Saturday, March 21, 2009

Orgy of Souls, (Apex Books), by Maurice Broaddus and Wrath James White

“Christian Horror” is a loaded term, and it's been thrown around much as of late. In its worst examples, it describes thinly veiled moral tales short on plot and long on evangelizing. In its best form, it defines a work that utilizes the trappings of horror to consider the spiritual and divine. The term itself is considered controversial; ironically those who utilize it best are reluctant to fall under its categorization, simply because they are artists and wish the work to speak for itself.

Whatever the label's legitimacy, “Orgy of Souls” - a novella co-written by Maurice Broaddus and Wrath James White – certainly uses the horror genre to ponder the nature of the soul, and the best part: it's done so well. The pairing of White and Broaddus is seamless, and it produces an emotional, gut-wrenching tale that will leave the reader pondering eternal questions long after the last page.

Brothers Samson and Samuel are as different as can be. Father Samuel has lived a life of faith and purity, a holy man who has trusted God since entering the seminary. In stark contrast, Samson lives to excess. A wildly successful fashion model, he indulges in every earthly pleasure. Father Samuel, however, has been saddled with a crippling test of faith: he's contracted HIV and his health is failing. Though he knows the words to all the prayers, his own resolve falters in the face of his own mortality and escalating pain.

If there's one thing Samson truly loves in this world, it's Samuel. Not willing to entrust his brother's fate into the hands of a God he hates, Samson takes matters into his own hands and summons dark powers to save Samuel's life. Everything changes forever after a bloody ritual, when Samson hears these enticing words: “Twenty for one”. Twenty souls, in exchange for his brother's life. This pact marks the beginning of a bloody swathe of destruction that has only one end: and it's not anything either brother could ever conceive, even in their worst nightmares.

This is the perfect novella: it's an engaging, lean story that delivers a striking message. Though perhaps neither writer would consider it a work of “Christian Horror”, it certainly provides a powerful template for the spiritual potential of horror and dark fiction.